The Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets are both dealing with lineup changes due to injuries, and they will meet on Tuesday night in Orlando for the first game of NBA Cup group play.
For the Magic, the focus has been on finding the right combinations to cover the gaps left by injuries. They are trying to stay perfect at home, looking for their fifth win in a row at the Amway Center.
In their last game on Sunday, they crushed the Washington Wizards 121-94, scoring 60 points in the second half. Forward Franz Wagner led the way with 23 points, continuing his strong scoring run. Wagner has been the Magic’s leading scorer for the last five games.
Despite injuries to Paolo Banchero (oblique) and Wendell Carter Jr. (foot), the Magic are finding ways to compensate for the missing production.
Guard Cole Anthony, who scored 16 points off the bench against Washington, said, “I’m just going to keep trying to put these performances together, keep running my way back into the lineup and just do what I can do.”
The Hornets are also struggling with injuries and rotations. They lost 107-105 in overtime to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, despite rallying from 16 points down with less than 10 minutes left in regulation. Charlotte coach Charles Lee said, “We’ll grow from this and learn from it.”
Guard LaMelo Ball had a standout performance, scoring 38 points and adding eight assists. Ball made a game-tying 3-pointer in the corner while falling out of bounds to send the game to overtime. His teammate, Brandon Miller, said, “I expect it every game, so it’s not anything surprising.
That’s what he does — play at a high clip in this league, and he’s going to keep getting better every day.” Ball has scored 30 or more points in four of his last six games.
Anthony, who has had a tough start to the season, continues to play with confidence. In Sunday’s game, he hit a 3-pointer and then stared down the coach as if he had made six in a row.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley commented, “He made the 3 on the right wing and came back and stared at me the whole time like he had just made six in a row. But that’s who he is … that fearless, confident leader on the floor when he’s out there.”
Anthony has averaged just 12.1 minutes per game this season and is hoping to bounce back from his struggles, which have seen him average only 4.8 points per game and shoot 26.3% from beyond the arc.
“Obviously it hasn’t been the start to the season that I would have liked, but I’m hopeful,” Anthony said. “I continue to just put my head down, grind, do what I need to do on and off the court. I’m just going to keep trying to put these performances together.”
The Hornets have also been battling injuries in the post positions, but their 50-40 rebounding advantage against the 76ers was a positive sign. In the backcourt, Tre Mann has been dealing with back soreness, which has put his availability in question. He has been a key player off the bench for Charlotte.
For Orlando, this will be their third game of a five-game homestand.
